ZF 4-9 HP are automatic transmissions, produced over the years by the renowned German company ZF Friedrichshafen AG. Some of them are out of production, others are still being produced. They debuted in 1983. Today the cars of Ford, Peugeot, Audi, Fiat, Renault, BMW, Volkswagen, Porsche, Jaguar, Land Rover and other popular makes are equipped with these transmissions.
All ZF 4-9 HP transmissions are classic automatic gearboxes with a torque converter and planetary gear sets. Depending on a software installed, they have several operating modes and usually adapt to a certain driving style. Often they offer a manual control mode that allows the driver to shift gears according to a road situation. The manual gear shifting depends on a vehicle make and model and can be performed with the help of the gear lever, rotary selector, buttons or paddle shifters.
Popular ZF 4-9 HP transmissions
| Number of gears | Gearbox code | Production start | Max engine torque, N·m | Max engine capacity, L | Car layout | Model applications |
| 4 | 4HP14 | 1983 | 180 | 2.0 | FWD | Citroën BX; Peugeot 405; Citroën Xantia; Peugeot 205; Citroën ZX; Volvo 440; Daewoo Leganza; Peugeot 306; Peugeot 309; Rover 800; Daewoo Nubira; Peugeot 305 |
| 4 | 4HP20 | 1995 | 330 | 3.5 | FWD | Citroën Xantia; Peugeot 406; Renault Laguna; Lancia Phedra; Renault Espace; Citroën C5; Peugeot 605; Citroën XM; Peugeot 407; Fiat Ducato; Renault Safrane; Lancia Kappa; Mercedes-Benz Vito; Alfa Romeo 166 |
| 4 | 4HP24 | 2004 | 450 | 5.0 | RWD, AWD | BMW E31; Jaguar XJS; Audi V8; Land Rover Discovery; Jaguar XJ6; BMW E32; Range Rover; Audi А8 |
| 5 | 5HP19 | 1995 | 350 | 3.7 | FWD, RWD, AWD | Audi A4; Audi Allroad; BMW E38; Audi A8; Porsche 911; BMW E46; BMW Z4 E85; Audi A6; Porsche Boxster; BMW E39; Volkswagen Passat |
| 5 | 5HP24 | 1995 | 440 | 6.0 | FWD, RWD, AWD | BMW E39; Jaguar XJ; BMW X5 E53; Audi A8; Jaguar XK; BMW E38; Audi A6; BMW E31; Volkswagen Phaeton |
| 6 | 6HP19 | 2000 | 400 | 3.5 | FWD, RWD, AWD | Audi A4; BMW E60; BMW E90; Audi A8; BMW E87; Audi A6; BMW E63 |
| 6 | 6HP26 | 2001 | 600 | 6.0 | FWD, RWD, AWD | BMW E90; Ford Explorer; BMW X3 E83; Ford Territory; BMW E63; Audi A6; BMW E60; BMW X5 E53; Ford Expedition; Audi A8; Ford Mustang; Jaguar S-Type; BMW E65; Jaguar XK; Audi A4; Volkswagen Phaeton |
| 6 | 6HP32 | 2002 | 850 | 7.6 | FWD, RWD, AWD | Bentley Azure; BMW E65; Rolls-Royce Drophead Coupe; Bentley Arnage; Rolls-Royce Phantom; Volkswagen Phaeton |
| 8 | 8HP45 | 2010 | 500 | 3.5 | RWD, AWD | BMW F10; Chrysler 300; BMW F20; Volkswagen Amarok; BMW F30; Alfa Romeo Giulia; BMW X3 F25; Alfa Romeo Stelvio; BMW X5 F15; Dodge Charger; Jaguar XE; BMW F22 |
| 8 | 8HP55 | 2010 | 550 | 4.2 | FWD, AWD | Audi Q5; Audi A8; Audi Q7; Audi A7 |
| 8 | 8HP90 | 2010 | 1000 | 8.0 | FWD, RWD, AWD | Rolls-Royce Wraith; Bentley Mulsanne; Lamborghini Urus;Audi SQ7; Bentley Continental; Rolls-Royce Phantom; Aston Martin DBS; Audi RS6; Dodge Hellcat |
| 9 | 9HP28 | 2014 | 380 | 2.4 | FWD | Fiat 500X; Chrysler 200; Jeep Renegade |
| 9HP48 | 2013 | 480 | 4.0 | FWD, AWD | Acura TLX; Jeep Renegade; Acura MDX; Chrysler 200; Honda Pilot; Chrysler Pacifica; Range Rover Evoque; Fiat 500X; Fiat Doblo; Honda CR-V; Jeep Cherokee; Jaguar E-Pace; Range Rover Discovery Sport |
Common malfunctions of ZF 4-9 HP transmissions
| Malfunctions | Transmissions |
| Torque converter clutch wears out, thus leading to vibrations and leaks. | 4HP20; 8HP55; 4HP24; 6HP19 |
| The solenoids get soiled and destroyed. | 4HP20; 5HP19; 8HP45; 6HP19; 6HP26 |
| The gear position sensor stops working. | 4HP20 |
| The oil pump is clogged with wear products of the torque converter clutch. | 5HP19; 4HP24; 8HP55 |
| Bushings get damaged. This leads to leaks, vibrations, destruction of transmission components, for instance, the oil pump. | 4HP24; 5HP19; 4HP20; 8HP45; 4HP14; 6HP32 |
| The torque converter breaks down due to increased loads. | 5HP24; 5HP19 |
| Wiring of the solenoids fails. | 5HP24 |
| The rotational speed sensor has a short lifespan. | 5HP24; 4HP24 |
| The hub bearing breaks down. | 5HP24 |
| The mechatronic unit burns out due to overheating. | 6HP26; 6HP19; 8HP90; 8HP55; 6HP32 |
| The valve body separator plate gets damaged because of dirt. | 6HP19 |
| Mechanical elements of the transmission wear out prematurely due to leaks and low oil pressure level. | 6HP32; 6HP19; 8HP90; 8HP45 |
| The plastic pan deforms. | 6HP26 |
| The aluminium planet gears set breaks down soon. | 8HP45 |
| Oil leaks from the control unit sleeve. | 8HP55; 8HP45 |
| The transmission shifts to neutral unpromptedly. | 9HP48; 9HP28 |
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